Moderate is the best word to describe this place. I had to dab the excess grease off my eggs (over-medium). My wife had stuffed French toast with blackberry filling. The filling is more in line with a donut filling. It was very sweet and dessert like. She did not care for it. We saw our server maybe 3 times and not in a great way. My son and wife went up to ask for a kids menu. It also took between 10-15 min to get a check. This place might be good if you like big portions from a greasy spoon type place. Not me. read more

Note to self - do NOT come here on Labor Day. That was my mistake. This was our first time at this location, but we've been to many other locations. This is the least enjoyable experience we've had at a Black Bear Diner. We were told it would be 15 minutes for a table, but it took almost 30, which was understandable because it was a holiday. Not a big deal. We were seated, given water, and we ordered right away. It took another 40 minutes for our food to come which is unusual for Black Bear, but again, it was a holiday. I ordered a Denver omelette, which came out as a pile of veggies with scrambled eggs laid on top - I kid you not. It seemed very small at first, especially for an omelette, but I realized the cook never smoothed out the eggs to make it big and flat. He essentially just made scrambled eggs and piled them on top of all the fillings. It tasted fine, but was very strange. I will give them credit, I asked for my hash browns extra crispy (something that most restaurants can never get right) and they came out nice and crunchy. My husband ordered the country fried steak, something he's had at Black Bear many times, and it was incredibly disappointing. It was very small and gristly. I couldn't chew the bite he gave me. Very off-putting. He left the restaurant feeling hungry, which again, never happens when we eat at Black Bear. When we went to pay our check, the girl working the counter was in a very pissy mood and did not offer us a receipt before she walked away. I assume she was probably stressed due to how busy they were, but still, I could deal without the rudeness. I won't be returning to this location, but we are still fans of Black Bear restaurants. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Hash browns were nice and crispy - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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I thought my Reubens was delicious...prices are reasonable and waitress was awesome...I forgot to get her name though....

It's rare that I leave reviews but this one had to be done, I spent $50 on my order just to almost swallow a staple and when I call the location nobody answers. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - I ordered the joes hobo omelette and found a staple as I was about to swallow. - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

I went there for breakfast and the food was excellent, they however never brought my grits or fruit that went with my order and I forgot about it until later that night and I was not pleased but the food was good and our server was great. We decided to try dinner there a few nights later boy we really never should have they definitely deserve -1star for dinner. The server took our order then the table next to us received their food before their salad so I went and asked for our salad and the server told us he would get them but our food was ready too. Ugh. Then I had to ask for everything but I had to go find the server to do that he never came back again. We were supposed to get cornbread had to ask for that, had to go find him for some water had to go find him for a box and the check. I don't think we'll ever go back here again they are horrible about bringing you the food that you order. So make sure you read the menu and ask for your food because they don't bring it out to you. read more

This place is literally within walking distance from my apartment, yet I have passed by it daily. This morning I was hungry for breakfast and had a lot of things to do so I thought I would try something close. I have noticed the parking lot is usually full, so I thought it must be good. I had no idea what type of food they had or what to expect. It was Sunday morning just around 9:30 and I was fortunate to be able to walk in and instantly have a table. The server was very friendly and she checked back often always refilling my coffee. The menu is a little newspaper and it's a bit overwhelming with many options, but I finally settled on the volcano. It is described as three pancakes, 2 sausage links, 2 bacon strips, and an egg. The pancakes are three different sizes and stacked to create a volcano with the egg on top. It was under $9 and I was surprised at the size of it! I attempted but could not finish it. The big pancake was left uneaten. They do have a smaller option for around $6 and that might be the better way to go unless you have just returned from a month long trip through the jungle or plan to share with someone. The server continued to check on me and even offered up a to go cup of coffee. I don't know how I have overlooked this place but based on the experience today, I would put it right at the top of best spots in town for breakfast. I will say come early because by the time I was leaving the lobby was full, people were milling around the parking lot, and the wait to be seated was 15 minutes. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Wow! The volcano for under $9: 3 pancakes, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, and an egg (normally on top) - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

My husband and I have only been here a few times and are very pleased with it. The waitresses are so friendly and helpful. The food is very good and generous servings for the fair price. We will make this our regular place from now on. I'm going to try a dessert the next time. It's just a really good diner. read more

The food and service at BBD was good. The food was tasty and the portions a good in size. The restaurant appeared clean. The waitress was nice and checked in on me and my family. Overall a good experience, we all enjoyed our food and had a relaxing time. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Placemat - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

HUMONGOUS HOTCAKES! And my breakfast eggs were cooked just as I ordered them. And the homemade patty-sausage (choice of hot or mild) was incredible. Yep, I'm a new and big fan of Black Bear Diner for breakfast. Everything on the breakfast menu looked so good that it was hard to make a choice on my first visit here. But my choice was more than satisfying and scrumptious, so I will be back another day to try some of the other choices - - like French toast bear claws . . .how could you go wrong with that sweet treat? I only had one small disappointment. The coffee was too bitter for me. I like mine strong, dark and smooth. Add cream and it should be a rich soft brown. But, I know how one likes their coffee, as how they like their men, is just a matter of taste, But, for me . . . rich and smooth, nothing bitter! Bring it on Black Bear, I will return to this family oriented place for breakfast again. read more

Ordered take out for this place for the first time just to try their food and the food was meh. We ordered: chicken tortilla soup, pot roast with fries, chicken pot pie (came with salad with ranch dressing, and peach cobbler. When I went inside to go pick up the food my first impression was like whoa...it's so country in here..Decor is kind tacky. They have displays of their pies at the front and it looked like it's been sitting in there for days. I kinda almost wanted to tell someone there to take our peach cobbler order out but by that time one of the servers came out with our food. Chicken pot pie was OK but nothing amazing. It's kinda like the ones you could get from the frozen section at Target or something. Pot roast was my least favorite...it had a weird flavor and taste to it and the veggies were hard! Also, the fries were really soggy. Salad was just salad, it was just chopped up lettuce, cucumbers and carrots....with ranch dressing...WHOO~! The peach cobbler was definitely a couple days old and not fresh. You can tell by just looking at it. Overall, the best thing I would say was the chicken tortilla soup but they forgot to give me tortilla chips ugh! I dunno about breakfast but dinner here is definetly not somewhere I would wanna go. read more

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This place used to be amazing. Today I went and everyone (especially the curly hair girl) was extremely rude! The waitress said "tell they bye and have a good night" like what girl? You can't even say bye but if we don't tip you you're going to throw a hissy fit!! At least have some manners and thankfully I'm not the girl to not tip. Crappy customer service or not. I'm so disappointed and I will not be back here. I used to come 2x a week. read more

Chicken fried steak is the absolute best. I'm addicted! Really the best breakfast spot in town for f you ask me.

Excellent service and decent breakfast on a Friday morning at 0630 . . . PROS: breakfast fare was good. I liked the hash browns, and the link sausages were very tasty and not too fatty. They offer egg beaters, which I prefer. Food came to our table w/in 5 mins of placing our order. Our server, Janna/Jenna (?) was super friendly, efficient, and made sure we were taken care of from entry-to-exit. CONS: I must confess, I found the decor to be . . . a tad too . . . outdoorsy??? I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants, but we came here because they are one of the few places in the area open before 0700. Chow was okay, service was excellent. Cheers! RS read more

I've seen Black Bear Diner multiple times on Yelp and have been curious about it. Finally last night my craving for a breakfast dinner took me there for the first time. The atmosphere is cute and rustic. They were fairly busy and we waited about 20 minutes to be seated, but I did notice a lot of empty tables & booths despite a lot of people waiting to be seated. I'm not sure if they were under staffed so not able to seat the empty tables. Now the food. Three meals were ordered: The Mini Volcano: I am not a pancake person but after reading reviews and tips I saw many raving over the pancakes. They were delicious. Light and fluffy and very much worth getting. The bacon was thick and crispy... Probably my favorite on the plate. The scrambled eggs a little dry and over cooked. I also ordered a side of one biscuit and gravy... It was huge! A meal in itself. The biscuits are big and fluffy, the gravy good but nothing special. The Huevos Rancheros Benedict: I didn't get to taste this one but the comments back were that it was delicious. The pork had good green chilie flavor and wasn't overly liquidy like it can be sometimes. The red potatoes tasted fresh and homemade. The chicken fried steak dinner: The chicken fried steak was tasty and tender, but the mixed vegetables and cottage cheese on the side were just average. No one had room for dessert. Overall it was a tasty meal. I'll definitely go back for breakfast. The portions are large. You will definitely leave with a full tummy. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - The mini volcano. Delicious. - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Black Bear Diner has great food,huuuge portions, and good customer service. Weve been to black bear 5 times now, but only for breakfast and everytime we go they are consistent. The times we've gone has had a 30 min wait, but it honestly doesn't bother me, it gives me a chance to browse the menu. See what we do while waiting is asked for menus,so as soon as we get seated we let our server know what we want. I always get the Eggs Benedict. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was creamy and my gosh they give you so much, my meal came with a bowl of fruit, potatoes and they are good! Hubby got some kind of meat plate with eggs and that was huge oh and the sausages were meaty which i liked. The little bro had pancakes, i had a bite and it was delicious. Our servers dont bother us. They come when your drink needs filled and comes and asked if we need anything here and there, other than that they leave you alone and let you enjoy your meal. At some resto, I hate it when the food barely gets to your table and you havent even gotten a chance to sink your teeth in then they asked you ''hows everything tasting?'' one of these day I will respond with ''well i dont know, can you let me eat first then ill tell you" oh and I hate a chatty server. Im here to eat not talk haha! But seriously you have to try this place and hopefully youll enjoy dining here as much as we do. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Eggs benidect with bacon, tomatoes, avocado and spinach. - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Black Bear Diner 1809 E. Baseline Road Gilbert, AZ 480-926-2046 In my continuing quest for good food at reasonable prices, I was convinced by two companions to try Black Bear Diner. They are a chain of about 50 restaurants in the western states. We arrived at dinner hour and were promptly greeted and seated. The atmosphere is a bit eclectic and kind of reminds one of a hunting lodge in the mountains. Our waitress came promptly to the table and asked about drinks. The menu is written on a kind of newsprint, and makes interesting reading. Apparently, each one is tailored to the state it is printed in, and is replete with interesting facts about the state. Companion 1 ordered the Cobb Salad ($8.99). The portion size was enormous, and two could have easily made a meal of it. Nice smoky bacon, a large portion of blue cheese, and tons of assorted salad on a plate that was more than 12 inches across. Companion 1 was unable to finish half of it and ended up with a doggie box to take for the next day's lunch. Companion 2 ordered the Bacon Burger ($10.49). I'm not sure, but I'd bet that the patty was a half pound of meat. By the time it was all stacked up with all the fixings, I couldn't figure out how anyone could get their mouth around it - but companion 2 managed it along with the cheese on it and a portion of onion rings instead of fries. For myself, I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. It came on another huge plate (a necessity for the size of the portion) along with mashed potatoes smothered in gravy and fresh cooked assorted veggies. There was little doubt that the veggies were cooked to order as they were still a little crisp and done to perfection. All this came with a delicious corn muffin to add to the calorie count. None of us could avoid desert. Other than Washington State and Oregon, I've never been served anything with huckleberries - perhaps it's because the bears like to eat them as much as the humans do, so they are expensive and hard to come by. Nonetheless, they had huckleberry ice cream - the only correct word for it was yum! Companion 1 had it over a deep dish cherry pie, and companion 2 had it as a shake. Neither of my companions could finish their deserts. I had mine as a simple ball of ice cream in a dish, and just managed to finish it. Service was outstanding, and everything was nice and clean. I give them 4 stars for quality, portion size, and cleanliness. read more

Years ago, I reviewed the Black Bear Diner's original restaurant in Mount Shasta, California. I have a soft spot in my heart for this chain because it started essentially in my hometown's back yard, in a remote northern part of California that some call the State of Jefferson. You can see on their placemat, a black bear framed by the snow covered peaks of the extinct volcano, Mt. Shasta, in the background. I am pleased as punch that they have a franchise in Gilbert now that I am living in Arizona. The food here is some solid, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. The portions are huge. And it has that old-fashioned diner food vibe. This has been covered in many of the reviews posted by my fellow Yelpers. However, there are some unique nuances at this diner that you might have missed... For one, they sell their own line of hot sauces. This includes Baby Burn (original cayenne), Mama Burn (green jalapeño), and Papa Burn (habañero). I am hooked on the Papa Burn, even though I'm not a huge habañero hot sauce fan. My tastes tend towards the cayenne and chipotle varieties, but this Papa Burn sauce is special. It has some serious heat from the habañero, but the best component is the infused black pepper flavor. Try it the next time you're here and you might just buy a bottle to go (like I did). The other thing you may have missed is that the Black Bear Diner serves craft beer! Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale and Big Bear Black Stout are the two offerings they carry from the Bear Republic Brewery. I have tried neither of these, but they sound delicious! I tend to frequent Black Bear Diner for breakfast, and really haven't made beer with breakfast a habit since college. I know the Yreka, California Black Bear Diner restaurant used to serve a special label craft beer brewed at the Etna Brewery, so I was pleased to see that the beery bear tradition continues at this Gilbert restaurant. read more

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BEST place for breakfast! They have the best pancakes I have ever tasted. Great prices, huge portions. Friendly staff. Johnathan is our favorite server! read more

The lady at the register obviously didn't want to be there. The biscuits and gravy that I got, there was definitely enough bread I don't know what happened to the gravy read more

We ordered from this place today the food is really good and the portions are huge. We enjoyed the food and I definitely recommend this place. We had the eggs,pancakes and applewood bacon. Very yummy! read more

This was my first time trying this place. I loved the design of everything, nice little gift shop in the front. The food came out quick but unfortunately my hashbrowns were way over cooked. The chicken fried steak was delicious with gravy. Our server just dropped off our food and had another server refill our drinks. For a first time I was disappointed with customer service. But I enjoyed the inside and my steak. Im hoping my 2nd time for breakfast will be better with our server. Im sure everyone loves a nice server. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Chicken Fried Steak (750 cals.) - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

Traditional classic breakfast menu with lots of options. Top hearty meals to try are the corn beef hash, classic Benedict, and chicken fried steak. And there are bears everywhere! From your plate, napkin, ketchup bottle, sugar packet, cups, etc. read more

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Visited on Saturday and had our usual Ruben sandwich's with fries. Probably the best Ruben I have ever had. Place was packed, but we were seated within about 10 minutes. Service was fast with very nice and considerate servers. Our sandwich's must have had 3/4 of a pound of meat each and we had enough fries for 6 people. Every time we eat here we are amazed at how good the food and service are. On this his particular visit, the Ruben was exceptionally great. Great Immaculately clean restaurant with great food, large portions, great service and a 10% veterans discount. It doesn't get much better than this. read more

**Nice family spot** Folks here are nice and friendly .. never ending sodas and lots of homemade foods, classic specials like burger and fries, HUGE egg omelets Stuffed with all you favorites, baby back ribs, meat loaf etc. Good music on the juke box. A++ for freshness, but they lost a star on the banna cream pie crust (was not as flaky *hard and dry) -1 star for that one.... and kids eat free one day a week!!!! read more

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Went there last night, the service was okay! The food was really good and the prices are reasonable. The restaurant looks very nice from the inside, we sat in a booth next to a window . read more

Very good I love the biscuits never leave unhappy. Will be returning soon. I appreciate the overall atmosphere

Very disappointed with our visit. I've been coming to Black Bear diner for 5 years and used to go every Sunday for breakfast. Black Bear was my favorite place because they gave a lot of food and the hash browns were so good! I hadn't been to black bear in months since COVID. The whole breakfast was horrible. The has browns especially were terrible. They advertise thick cut hash browns and that's how they always were until now! They looked like shredded fried onions, did not look like hash browns at all. They were very dry and crispy and the biscuit looked over cooked as well. Service was not great either. There were maybe 10 people in there and took a half hour to get our food. It never took that long to get food before when the whole place was packed. This used to be my absolute favorite place for breakfast with 5 stars but now sadly I'm giving it 1 star. I don't know what's happening back there in the kitchen but they need to do some damage control quick bc this place is going down in the dump. Our server had no tact at all when I told her I'd like the country potatoes instead bc I didn't like the hash browns she yelled as loud as she could to the cooks and said "I need country potatoes, because they didn't like the hash browns!!" After she had argued with me that there was nothing different about the hash browns. Maybe she's new there and the hash brown have always looked crappy but as someone who has gone to Black Bear for the past 5 years regularly, I can attest that they have NOT BEEN LIKE THAT. Please Black Bear go back to making breakfast good again. read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Sad "hash browns" - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

We love this place for breakfast! Pancakes and bacon are delicious. We were a little disappointed with our service this time, the waitress never refilled our coffee, or brought us extra butter ( we asked twice for). We felt a little ignored by her, but she was really chatty and attentive to the other tables she was waiting. We are very understanding that times are weird right now, but we tip really well( sometimes even 50% of our bill) the fact that we were kind of ignored left a bad taste with us, we did not tip well this time around. Not sure if it was because we were a younger couple with our kids, but she seemed to pay attention to the older crowd a lot more.. other than that, the food is always good and we have never had an issues until this one time. read more

This place was awesome ! It smelt like a real diner when we walked in and they certainly delivered on that smell ! The burger I ordered was juicy and the fries with it were just what I was craving ! The service was amazing. The waitress was totally in her game that afternoon! Loved the lodge atmosphere and our daughter loved the wooden bears throughout the front ! Oh and the cool juke box up front she went nuts for ! Great for kids and families and very well priced ! Love it when we find awesome places like this ! Keep it up guys we will definitely be back ! read more

Black Bear Diner Gilbert - Menu is cute !! - American Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

First time at this Black Bear. Been to another with good results. Arrived at 11:15 on a Sunday morning at it was hopping, so I sat at the counter. Jessica greeted me right away, brought a menu and offered iced tea and the day's special. I accepted the iced tea but opted for biscuits and gravy. It came with two eggs and a protein for $8.99. The eggs were fine. Tough to screw up sunny side up eggs. The biscuits were light and fluffy and the highlight of the meal. The gravy was in serious need of further cooking. Taste of flour pervaded, without much else to help it. No sausage or bacon flavor. Just bland, really. If the dish is called Biscuits and Gravy, both better deliver but only one part did. The sausage was good and it reminded me of the kind my mom made while I was growing up. The portions at Black Bear Diner are always plentiful even for this big guy. Not a bad meal, just not the 'home cooking' meal I was really after. read more

Our go-to restaurant! We are "regulars" & Becky and Manager Christine know us by name and know my wife's "special" substitution of loaded grits for eggs with her Bear's Choice breakfast. They treat us like family. Highly recommended! read more

Came in with family 11/25. Sat down for about 20 minutes, no one came to our table. A nice gentleman who actually wants to do his job named Cameron, came over and took our table because a server named Jen didn't want to take our table since she was in a hurry to leave, but still went to take a woman's order that came in after us about 15 minutes later and immediately took her order. She had a table next to us, food served and good to go. Didn't acknowledge we were there. After Cameron came for our drink orders she comes over and says " Do you guys need something to drink". No Hello, how you doing , no smile , just a shit grin on her face. After I said a nice gentleman came to take our order she said great and gave us a thumbs up and immediately walked away. We spoke to Cameron and she told him to take our table because she wanted to leave. He apologized we had to wait so long because of a server who was in a hurry to leave. There was no need for her to come 40 minutes later and ask if we needed drinks with a shit face on. I spoke to the manager , to let him know she was trash server. I said she should just clock out and leave if she's done taking customers when we came in. The manager wasn't so great neither with his words and professionalism. He just offered some pie, which we won't eat. We thanked Cameron for taking care of us. He was amazing. Still served us with respect and a smile even though he goes through hell with Jen. Definitely won't be going back to that location. Put a smile on your face next time Miss Jen or find a different job that suits your shit attitude towards customers such as us and also co-workers, especially Cameron. :) read more

Black Bear Diner is a nice local chain to have a change from the Denny's and IHOPS of the world! It has a family setting feel and is near themed, as AZ is known for its Black Bear habitants. The service is fun, up beat and accurate. Our waitress was very patient with the kids and tending to their needs. I had egg whites and toast with fruit, very filling, my bf has a chicken fried steak which he enjoyed. The menu is like a newspaper and it filled with a simple menu of appetizers, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kids meal is also concise. The orange juice is fresh squeezed and delicious! The restaurant was clean and environment is comfortable with a cabin feel to it. If you are in the Phx area, grab some breakfast or brunch at Black Bear Diner. I thought the price, experience and food was a nice place for out of towners! read more

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My food was awesome I had the Gobbler sandwich hands down awesome. And I had the banana cream pie was hmmm mmmm goodd read more

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We had a large party, and those who ordered grilled meats and salads, thought they were delicious!! But a few in our party ordered fried foods, and felt they were either burnt, or the oil was old... not sure which.., But overall- the wait staff was pleasant and helpful. read more

So good!! I remember going to one of the locations when I was younger, so I had to give this one a try. I'm not a huge fan of French fries, but theirs are super good. Being from the north, I love the theme of the restaurant too. read more

Bread had mold on it and they kept bringing me sweet tea when I ordered unsweetened tea. After the 4th time, I asked for water. I rarely send food back but ugh! We decided to try again. This time they forgot to put in our order while the waitress chatted with all the other coworkers. When she realized she forgot to put in the order she didn't bother to tell us. After 40 minutes of trying to get her attention she finally came to the table and told us what happened. I asked for the check to pay for the drinks as I was on a time crunch and she got really snotty and said "Well, I'm not going to have you pay for food you didn't get." My reply was that I would like to pay for our drinks and leave and she said, again rudely, that it would be no charge. Again, I rarely send food back, I generally am very understanding and forgiving of human error, but both visits made me think that customer service training is needed at this establishment along with common courtesy. Not going to try again. If I could give 0 stars I would. read more

It's located at a gas station. I don't usually eat at gas station diners but it got good reviews so we tried it. First of all Trish, our waitress, was very friendly and helpful with choosing our dinners. She was pleasant and quick. My husband got the chicken fried steak and I got the pot roast. Both dinners were plentiful and very tasty. (Took leftovers home). We will go back again when in Kingman area. Thanks Trish, great experience. read more

I think this place is OK. The food is decent and the service is fine. However, in all fairness, I have only eaten breakfast here a few times so I cannot comment on the lunch and dinner items on their menu. I especially like one of their breakfast menu items, which is the Portuguese sausage and eggs option. The sausage is tasty and a nice big one at that. They also have ala carte breakfast options on their menu, but no option for additional eggs. Most of their breakfast choices come with two eggs, but for me personally, I would like to add an additional egg or two. All-in-all, I think this place is OK. read more

I have been here twice and had good food and service both times. The pancakes are delicious. Probably the best I have ever had. Fresh squeezed oj. Coffee and breakfast meats are alright. Decent sized portions. You will leave full. read more